Marcel Deer
Do you feel like you’re struggling all the time to get by?
We’re not all born with silver spoons in our mouths. Not everyone’s dad was able to give them a small $1 million loan to help them get started in life.
Each of us is born at a different economic level, but we also have the power to forge our own character and practice behaviors that get us where we need to go.
But a lot of the time, we pick up bad habits along the way that have the opposite effect. We do things that help to drag us down and not lift us up.
So when you feel like you can’t ever seem to get ahead, don’t just blame your situation – try to look inside for things you can change.
If your life feels like an uphill battle, say goodbye to these nine habits, and you’ll start to see things turn around.
1) Passing the buck
If you think I’m talking about giving people money here, you’ve got the wrong idea.
I mean passing the blame or responsibilities for your actions onto others.
When something goes wrong, and it truly is someone else’s fault, fine. Blame them if you need to.
But if you’re constantly blaming everything and everyone, you’re not only displaying a pretty unlikable trait, but you’re also doing damage to yourself.
No one likes to be blamed for what others do, so if that’s what you’re always doing, it’s going to seriously affect your relationships.
But it hurts you, too, for two reasons.
First, you’re not being honest with yourself. You’re living in denial and fantasy, and until you start to accept reality, you’re never going to be able to change it.
Second, when you don’t take responsibility for things that you do, you take power away from yourself. You tell yourself that you can’t or don’t affect things and that is a completely disempowering way to live.
You can affect things, and sometimes that means affecting them negatively, but you can’t have one without the other.
2) Quitting
I’ve got a friend from way back in primary school who is one of my favorite people. Shem is funny, friendly, and full of energy.
But he does have one major flaw that I think really keeps him from getting ahead in life.
He doesn’t finish what he starts.
There are many reasons why people do this. Some run out of energy or motivation or lose confidence in themselves.
In Shem’s case, he seems to start too many things to finish any of them. He’s always enthusiastic and has lots of ideas, but when he gets them halfway developed, it already starts to lose steam.
I think he needs to narrow his focus and think about making his end goals much clearer so he’ll know what to direct his energies toward and which ideas to leave by the wayside.
3) Saying yes
I know it probably sounds quite strange to suggest that you stop the habit of saying yes.
I’m not trying to turn you into a negative creep, though.
All I’m suggesting is that you stop saying only yes or stop saying yes to everything.
There are lots of people out there who find it nearly impossible to say no. They usually lack the self-confidence or the assertiveness to refuse when people ask them to do things.
But when you can’t say no, you’re not able to effectively look after your own interests, and guess what?
Manipulative people are looking for victims just like you.
These manipulators will force their agendas on you or take advantage of your kind-heartedness so they can gain something. They don’t care if their gain is at your expense.
That leaves you with too much going on, and piles of stress to deal with that are going to make your life feel like an uphill battle at all times.
4) Putting things off until later
People procrastinate for a few different reasons.
This may be a symptom of depression, and they really can’t find the energy to do the things they should.
Some people just don’t want to take responsibility for things even when there’s no one else there to take it.
Some people are more focused on the short term and choose present comfort over future comfort.
But if you want to make your life easier in the future, you should really think about doing things right now.
That’s exactly what procrastination isn’t!
If you do just one more thing today than normal, you’ll always have one less thing on your list for tomorrow. Then, your future self will find the slope of that uphill battle a little less steep day by day.
5) Spending time inefficiently
“Spending time inefficiently” sounds a whole lot nicer than wasting your f’n time, right?
But no matter how nicely we dress it up, this is the same thing.
If you feel like you’re always struggling to make ends meet or to get ahead, consider that you’re not using your time effectively, and most of it is being wasted.
Here are two things you can do to help you say goodbye to this damaging habit.
First, plan out your day each morning. While it might feel like you don’t have time to even sit down for five minutes, you do, and here’s why.
This dedicated planning time will quickly become a routine and get easier. You’ll find you’re able to focus and really think about the tasks you have to do.
By planning them out, you’ll forget fewer things, and that always saves time in repeat trips to the store or driving around in circles.
The other thing to try is to limit your screen time.
Phones these days all have settings for blocking your own naughty behavior, like spending too much time on social media.
Think of reasonable daily limits and use your settings to enforce them, and you’ll for sure find you have a lot more time available than you previously thought.
6) Not managing your money
If you can’t ever seem to get ahead, you may be trapped in a cycle of money mismanagement.
There are people out there whose job it is to simply manage income and expenses for other people.
Why?
Because many people are lousy at doing it themselves!
I know most people can’t afford to hire an accountant or a financial manager.
But here’s a cheat:
There’s now tons of information online to help you learn to manage your money on your own. Experts and professionals have written and made so many videos about how to set a budget, monitor your spending, and balance your books that it’s now a piece of cake for you and me.
But you still have to do it!
7) Partying too much
If you’re going out all the time to party and socialize, this might be a major obstacle getting in your way.
While these things are fun, friendly, and often stress-relieving, they also take a toll on your body.
This is especially true if you’re staying out really late and drinking or using other substances.
I’m not suggesting even for a minute that you should stay in and become a hermit.
Just be honest with yourself about how much you go out and the effects it has on the other aspects of your life.
You might find that cutting down on this lifestyle gives you extra time and energy to apply in other areas.
8) Sleeping too little
I can’t say enough about how important sleep is!
It’s not enough that sleeping just feels pretty darned great. It’s also so good for you.
It improves your well-being, memory, and focus. It lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
But if you feel like you’re facing an uphill battle every day of your life, getting enough sleep is going to give you the extra energy you need to keep climbing.
A typical adult needs seven to eight hours of sleep every night to meet their needs and feel good. If you’re not getting this much, the strain will show and will hold you back from really getting things done in your life.
9) Doing everything yourself
One last habit to say goodbye to is trying to be an army of one.
I know people often say, “If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.”
There’s some truth to that, but there’s also no possible way you’re better than everyone at everything.
If you’re not taking advantage of other people’s skills and talents, you’re missing out on a whole lot of help from people all around you.
If your life feels like an uphill battle, say goodbye to these nine habits because they’re standing in your way and limiting your achievements.
Start with one, and the extra time and energy you gain will help you tackle another and another until your bad habits are just a bad memory!
